The First Major World Cup Shock, and a Clear Ratings Leader on Day Five for Antena 1
The FIFA World Cup, broadcast exclusively by Antena, continues to dominate television ratings. The fifth day of the tournament was a clear ratings winner, with the first major surprise of the competition—the Group H draw between Spain and Cape Verde—alongside the Group G clash between Belgium and Egypt, as well as the Group E match Côte d’Ivoire vs. Ecuador and the Group F encounter Sweden vs. Tunisia, all topping the ratings charts across every key audience category. Antena 1 also established itself as the clear ratings leader throughout the entire Prime Time slot.
Day five of the FIFA World Cup featured exciting matches and, above all, highly surprising results that captured viewers’ attention. During the Group H match between Spain and Cape Verde, broadcast from 18:58 to 20:57, Antena 1 was the clear ratings leader among the commercial target audience aged 21–54, recording a 5.8 rating and a 27.7% market share, followed by Pro TV with a 5.2 rating and a 25% market share. The same ranking was maintained among urban viewers, where the match achieved a 6.3 rating and a 21.4% market share, compared to Pro TV’s 6 rating and 20.3% market share, as well as at the national level.
The Group G match between Belgium and Egypt, aired between 21:58 and 23:58, was also the audience’s first choice, posting an average rating of 7.1 and a 32.2% market share among the commercial audience aged 21–54. Pro TV followed with a 4.0 rating and an 18.3% market share. Antena 1 maintained its lead across all other major audience categories as well.
Furthermore, Antena 1 led the ratings rankings throughout the entire Prime Time interval (19:00–00:00), recording a 6.2 rating and a 28% market share, compared to second-placed Pro TV, which achieved a 5.0 rating and a 22.7% market share.
The previous day’s match between Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador, broadcast between 02:00 and 04:06, also topped the ratings charts, with an average rating of 1.5 and a 36.8% market share among the commercial audience aged 21–54. Pro TV followed with a 0.9 rating and a 22% market share. Antena 1 maintained its leadership across all other key audience categories.
The other Group F match, Sweden vs. Tunisia (05:01–06:57), was likewise the viewers’ preferred choice, recording an average rating of 1.5 and a 36.8% market share, ahead of Pro TV’s 1.3 rating and 31.8% market share among the commercial audience aged 21–54. The same hierarchy was reflected across all major audience segments.
Spain vs. Cape Verde was undoubtedly the first major shock of the World Cup, as the Spanish side failed to secure all three points against the island nation. La Furia Roja produced the tournament’s biggest surprise so far, failing to defeat Cape Verde, a national team making its first-ever World Cup appearance. The performance of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha—who previously played for Zimbru Chișinău and kept a clean sheet for his team—made headlines around the world. His social media accounts experienced explosive growth, reaching more than 5.8 million followers on Instagram alone by today.
Belgium also settled for a draw against Egypt despite entering the match as favorites, while Uruguay failed to overcome Saudi Arabia, which delivered another surprise after defeating Argentina four years ago. In the final match of the day, Iran and New Zealand shared the points in Los Angeles following an entertaining encounter.
Match Schedule – Day 6 of the FIFA World Cup
- France vs. Senegal – 22:00
- Iraq vs. Norway – 01:00
- Argentina vs. Algeria – 04:00
- Austria vs. Jordan – 07:00
Source: Fifty5Blue
Copyright: ARMADATA S.R.L.
Data processed by the Antena Group Research Department.
The analysis was conducted on the following targets: Urban 21–54, Urban Total, and National.
Period: June 15, 2026
